Modern light fixtures are typically mounted to walls by screwing the light fixture to a plate disposed over an electrical junction box, which is affixed inside a wall. The junction box is typically an open metal box that includes one or more live wires, a neutral wire, and a ground wire that extend out of the box for connection to a light fixture. The plate provides a conduit though which the wires may extend out through the wall to connect with complementary wires in the fixture to complete a circuit and provide electricity to one or more lights attached to the fixture.
Some wall mounted fixtures, typically referred to as sconces, provide light only in a single direction. That is, the light emitted from the sconces is directed either upward, downward, or outward, but the direction of light is not adjustable between the three directions. Thus, these sconces only provide for a single way to direct light. Other sconces, typically used in outdoor environments, include one or more light housings that are movably connected to the fixture, all of which extend a distance away from the wall. Such fixtures allow for the lateral movement of the light housings to direct the light emitted form bulbs inside the light housings. However, this side-to-side movement of the light housings requires the user to adjust each light housing separately for the desired direction for the light to be emitted. Moreover, such fixtures, when properly installed, are immovable and extend away from a wall, often creating displeasing appearance.